The use of an elongated tubular instrument for insertion into a surgical site is known and such instruments have been used in performing microsurgical operations within eyes and other internal portions of a patient. In such microsurgical operations it is frequently necessary to cut materials within the surgery site and the need for very small scissor action surgical instruments for performing such cutting have been needed. Scissor action cutting elements of such surgical instruments may include cutting blades that are moved with respect to each other along the axis of the instrument (sometimes known in the art as vertical scissors) or transverse to the axis of the instrument (sometimes known in the art as horizontal scissors). One such scissor action apparatus having cutting blades that are moved with respect to each other along the axis of the instrument is shown in my copending application Ser. No. 953,075, filed Nov. 2, 1992 for MICROSURGICAL SCISSOR APPARATUS and other patents cited in that application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,716, issued Mar. 31, 1981 to Geoffrey Sutherland for MICROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS discloses a scissor action cutting apparatus having cutting blades that are moved with respect to each other along a plane that is transverse to the axis of the instrument.
The elongated tubular members of microsurgical instruments that are inserted into the surgical site are used to transfer motion from motion producing elements outside of the surgical site to elements that are within the surgical site. It becomes necessary for successful useage of the instruments that the moving elements at the end of the elongated tubular member within the surgical site accomplish their movements in a smooth and controlled manner and with a minimum of undesirable or uncontrolled movements. Accomplishing the control of the moving elements and the reduction of motion resistance through the elongated tubular member has been the objective of many developments in the microsurgical instruments.
In scissor action cutting elements functioning at the end of an elongated tubular member where two cutting surfaces are moved with respect to each other it becomes desirable to cause the scissor cutting surfaces to move in a smooth motion and at a substantially uniform cooperating engagement throughout the entire scissor action. Accomplishing those desires at the free end of an elongated tubular microsurgery element becomes difficult.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is the provision of a microsurgical apparatus having scissor action cutting elements at the free end of an elongated tubular member adapted to be inserted into a surgery site with motion elements outside of the surgery site for transferring motion through the tubular member to cause the scissor action at the cutting elements within the surgery site.
A further object of the present invention in accord with the preceeding object is an assembly of elements and members in a microsurgical instrument that will permit smooth rotated cutting motion at the scissor action cutting elements within a surgical site.
Another object of the present invention in accord with the preceeding objects is a construction and assembly of elements that will cause the rotary scissor action operating element at the free end of a tubular element to be firmly pressed against the stationary element.
Another object of the present invention in accord with the preceeding objects is to provide a construction of elements for the scissor elements and the operating mechanisms that can be easily assembled, aligned and adjusted to insure the proper cooperation on the cutting blades of the scissor action cutting surfaces throughout the entire moving cooperation of the blades.
A further object of the present invention in accord with the preceeding objects is to provide an assembly of elements that may be comfortably and conveniently held by a user and easily operated either manually or powered.
A further object of the present invention in accord with the preceeding objects is a mechanism for converting reciprocal motion to rotary motion for rotary operation of a movable blade with respect to a stationary blade in a microsurgical apparatus.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the appended drawings and specification illustrating a preferred embodiment wherein: